Clearwater, British Columbia

Clearwater is small town located in British Columbia just one and a half hours away from the city of Kamloops. With a population of just over 2,000 people the community is small and tight knit. With Wells Gray Provincial Park right on its door step it makes Clearwater the perfect stop for tourists and travellers. Clearwater is also known nationally for its white water, with comparisons to other famous Canadian rivers such as the Kicking Horse in Golden British Columbia or the Ottawa river in Ontario. The Clearwater river holds in own and people from all over the world want to have a first-hand experience with its powerful white water.

Whitewater Rafting

In Clearwater there are three different rafting companies that work on the river. They are: Interior White water expeditions, Riverside adventures and liquid lifestyle. One to note would be Interior white water as they have been there the longest under the same management with someone of the most experienced guides coming from all over the world to work for them. Each company offers roughly the same trips with the main goal of experiencing the beauty of the river and the adrenaline pumping massive class 3-4 white water. Meeting your raft guide is your first step into the realm of guiding and the Whitewater community.

The guiding lifestyle is like nothing most people have ever seen before. Most guides sleep in a tent for the whole summer and are living off ramen noodles, beer and just the pure joy of running big water. When you get in the boat with some of these people they are just incredibly excited to be there and be able to share their love of the river with new people every day.

Whitewater Kayaking

This is arguably one of the hardest sports in the world, it is very physically demanding, the progression is challenging but this sport is a lifestyle that people absolutely love. The TRU Adventure studies program tosses you right in the deep end whether you like it or not. One of the first courses is a Whitewater kayaking course with the third day involving going down the clearwater river to work on the skills you just learned a few days prior on flat or slow moving water. For some, this is where their addiction began, you get your first taste of real big white water and you’re instantly hooked. Throughout the program you are going up to Clearwater as much as you can to learn and progress your skills as fast as possible. The time you start spending up there put you in contact with other people, they could be other Clearwater kayaking locals, people working for the rafting company or other recreational paddlers. These students are slowly learning about the whitewater community in clearwater and how much it means to so many people. There is so much to learn and so many people to learn it from, Clearwater is home to kayaking locals that live there for the sole reason of the river and there is no other person you would rather learn form then them.

The good that has come from the river

The Adventure studies program at TRU continues to use the clearwater river and push students to use it throughout their progression with kayaking and rafting. With this river they are continually creating strong competent guides for the whitewater community that you may see around the world.

Pink mountain imports are a small company with the goal of providing Canadian with white water equipment you wouldn’t regularly see in Canada. The two owners are Clearwater locals at heart with both of them going through the adventure studies program and spending countless days on the river for pleasure and work. It has influenced their life so much that pink mountain is actually a very famous feature on the river.

The tourism industry continues to flourish in Clearwater BC, whether that is the rafting companies, accommodations or the tours in Wells Gray. With people seeking adventure more and more these days and British Columbia being able to satisfy all the needs of those travels from whitewater to being in the mountains the hidden gems like Clearwater will continue to be one the places you never knew you needed to visit.